Chapter 1
Chapter 1 In Chapter: 1. Should Internet providers be pressured to allow customers to share their connections with “nonpaying” customers? In some cases it should be ok for customers share their information with others without having to pay. I mean it would be hard for a large family to have to pay for each individual member to have to pay for an internet access or say a Netflix account, but thankfully they do not have to have this problem. In other cases people need to have to pay for every access to the internet. ' 2. Would you share your connection with a total stranger even if it meant that you would sometimes experience a slow-down to your connection speed? '''Sadly I would not share my information with a total stranger. I am super cautious with what I do, and sharing the information with a stranger really puts a scare on what the stranger could access. ' Review Questions: 1. Define the term “knowledge worker.” Who coined the term? '''A knowledge worker is typically a professional who are relatively well educated and who create, modify, and/or synthesize knowledge as a fundamental part of their job. Peter Drucker coined the term. 2. Describe and contrast the economic, cultural, and technological changes occurring in the digital world. The economic changes have increased in international trade, in development of global financial systems and currency, and in the outsourcing of labor. The cultural changes have increased in the availability of multiculturalism through television and movies; the frequency of international travel and tourism, and immigration; the availability of ethnic foods and restaurants; and the frequency of worldwide fads and phenomena. The technological changes have helped in the development of low-cost computing platforms and communication technologies; the availability of low-cost communication systems; the ubiquitous nature of a low-cost global telecommunications infrastructure; and the enforcement of global patent and copyright laws to spur further innovation. All of these are awesome, but they have made it easier for fraudsters to steal information from victims. Sometimes the good that they have preformed isn’t has a great as all of the bad that can be cause because of them. 3. List the 10 factors that led to globalization 3.0. a. 'The fall of the Berlin Wall' b. 'The release of the Netscape Web Browser' c. 'Work flow software' d. 'Uploading' e. 'Outsourcing' f. 'Offshoring' g. 'Supply chaining' h. 'In-sourcing' i. 'In-forming' j. 'The steroids' 4. Describe work flow software. How did this technology drive the flattening of the world? Work flow software is a variety of software applications that allow for software-to-software interaction. This helped computers communicate with other computers making ordering products easier on the person running the factory. It helped decrease the misunderstanding of the people on the phone. 5. Compare outsourcing, offshoring, and offshore outsourcing. Outsourcing is when the business processes are preformed by another company. Offshoring is when the business processes are preformed in-house but in a different country. Offshore outsourcing is when a business process is preformed by another company in a different country. ''' 6. Describe in-sourcing and provide examples of how organizations use in-sourcing. '''In-sourcing is the delegation of a company’s logistics operations to a subcontractor that specializes in that operation, or to transferring a previously outsourced function to an in-house department. This can be how companies use to send their call centers to overseas, but they are now moving them back to places here in the US. Also it can be like how the UPS is managing the packaging and shipping of some companies. 7. List and describe several reasons why companies are choosing to outsource business activities. To need less people at the company. If a company outsources certain parts need by the company such as the accounting that is less people to have to offer benefits to. It also allows the company to work in smaller buildings. More people mean that work for a company means that they have more room and a bigger space compared to outsourcing and only needing a small building or space. Outsourcing also allows a company the opportunity to make someone else reliable if things go wrong such as if a situation dealing with shipping in packaging occur. ''' 8. List and contrast several challenges of operating in the digital world. '''One of the big challenges of operating in the digital world is the political system. Yes it is good that the government does protect some of the tings that people do not need to access; however, they do block some of the information that people should have access to dealing with things that are happening in the world around them. Demographics are another challenge in operating in the digital world. Yes people around the world much enjoy using their computers and having access to information, but it is hard for one company to be able to meet the needs of all people. Another issue is that faces people operating in the digital world is data sharing. People are able to share almost anything with people that they choose to share. They government does need to regulate this though. 9. 'Define the term “information systems” and explain its data, technology, people, and organizational components. '''Information systems are combinations of hardware, software, and telecommunications networks that people build and use to collect create, and distribute useful data, typically in organizational settings. The data component is the words and numbers used to work the system. Technology is all the components that are used to actually process and key in the data in the information system. People make the technology, and they key are the ones who key in the system. Organizational components are the ones who pay and support they information system. ' 10. Define and contrast data, information, and knowledge. 'Data is unformatted, but it is the building block of the other two. Information is formatted data, and it is the building block of the knowledge. Knowledge is the ability to understand the information. Without one you could not have any of the others. ' 11. Describe three or four types of jobs and career opportunities in information systems and in related fields. One job in the information system is a programmer; they are responsible for coding, testing, debugging, and installing programs. They develop the systems. Another job is a database administrator is responsible for managing database and database management software use. They maintain the systems. Another is IS security manager they are responsible for managing security measures and disaster recovery. They get to manage the system. Finally there is a university professor; they get to teach undergraduate and graduate students; study the use of information systems in organizations and society. The do the studying part of the systems.' 12. List and define three technical knowledge and/or skills core competencies. '''The hardware is refers to the physical computer equipment. The software refers to a program or set of programs that tell the computer to preform certain tasks. Networking is how all of the systems are able to connect to each other. ' 13. List and define four business knowledge and/or skills core competencies.' The business integration, industry is where the business processes, functional areas of business and their integration, industry characteristics take place. They also get to manage people and projects by planning, organizing, leading, controlling, and managing people and projects. The next skill is the social skill which helps in the interpersonal, group dynamics, and political aspects. Finally you have communication skill, which is where the verbal, written, and technological communication and presentation take place.' 14. 'List and define four of the systems knowledge and/or skills core competencies. '''The systems integration is where connectivity, compatibility, integrating subsystems and systems take place. The development methodologies is where the steps in systems analysis and design, systems development life cycle, alternative development methodologies take place. The critical thinking skill is need to challenge one’s and others’ assumptions and ideas. The problem solving skill is need to help one’s information gathering and synthesis, problem identification, solution formulation, and comparison. ' 15. List and define five types of information systems used in organizations. 'Transaction processing systems are used to process day-to-day business event data at the operational level of the organization. Management information systems are used produce detailed information to help manage a firm or a part of a firm. The intelligent system emulates or enhances human capabilities. The customer relationship management system supports interaction between the firm and its customers. The electronic commerce system enables customers to buy goods and services from a firm’s Web site. ' 16. Describe the evolution of the information systems function within organizations. '''In the beginning the early history: poor service and wore attitudes this is when projects were over budget and were late because it took to long to complete them. The rise and fall of end-user development is where computers were getting to where the average person could use them, but they were having problems but the systems were not always compatible. These all eventually rounded to the modern IS organization where the systems were most everyone was able to use the systems, and the people had little problems with the system. 17. How are the digital divide and computer literacy related? The digital divide is made up of people who are computer literate and have access to the information and those who do not. If there were not people who were computer literate and people who were computer illiterate then we would have a digital divide. 18. Compare and contrast information privacy, accuracy, property, and accessibility. Information privacy is concerned with what information an individual should have to reveal to others in the workplace or through other transactions, such as online shopping. Information accuracy is concerned with ensuring the authenticity and fidelity of information as well as with identifying who is responsible for informational errors that harm people. Information property focuses on who owns information about individuals and how that information can be sold and exchanged. Information accessibility focuses on defining what information a person or organization has the right to obtain about others and how this information can be accessed and used. ''' Self-Study Questions: 1. Information systems today are '''B. continuing to evolve we improvements to the hardware and software. 2. Whereas data are raw unformatted pieces or lists of words or numbers, information is A. data that has been organized in a form that is useful. 3. Computer-based information systems are described in this chapter as B. a combination of hardware, software, and telecommunications networks that people build and use to collect, create, and distribute data. ' 4. Other terms that can be used to represent the knowledge society include '''D. all of the above ('the new economy, the new society, the digital world) 5. Which of the following was not discussed as a common type, or category, of information system used in organizations? '''D. Web graphics 6. What stage of globalization started with expansion of trade to India, where the horse and wind and, in later stages, steam were the primary drivers? C. Globalization 2.0 7. The release of the Netscape Web browser had the following effects on the flattening of the world except 'C. providing integrated e-mail' 8. Which of the following is not considered an enabler of a flat world by Friedman?' D. customer service software' 9. Which of the following is not considered open-source software? A. Microsoft Office 10. Being C. computer literate, or knowing how to use the computer as a device to gather, store, organize, and process information, can open up myriad sources of information. Problems and Exercises 1. Match the following terms with the appropriate definitions: i. Information- B. data that have been formatted in a way that is useful ii. Downsizing'''- E. the practice of slashing costs and streamlining operations by laying off employees''' iii. Information systems- F. combinations of hardware, software, and telecommunications networks that people build and use to collect, create, and distribute useful data, typically in organizational settings iv. Information accuracy- J. an area concerned with ensuring the authenticity and fidelity of information as well as identifying who is responsible for informational errors that harm people v. Computer fluency- D. the ability to independently learn new technologies as they emerge and assess their impact on one’s work and life vi. Globalization 3.0- C. stage of globalization encompassing virtually every nation and shrinking the world from “size small to size tiny” ''' vii. Offshore outsourcing- '''G. the outsourcing of business processes on a global scale viii. Digital divide- I. the gap between those individuals in our society who are computer literate and have access to information resources, such as the Internet, and those who do not ix. Information privacy- H. an are concerned with what information an individual should have to reveal to others through the course of employment and through other transactions, such as online shopping x. Computer ethics- A. the issues and standards of conduct as they pertain to the use of information systems 10. Work flow software allows an organization to move documents and/or tasks through a work process. Using your own experiences and observations, either professionally or personally, describe how the work flow software worked. In my experiences work flow software has helped make processing easier. It has made it easier to access information that is need all at one time. However, it has made things a little bit harder to use by the computer freezing or not wanting to work properly. I just know recently at work my computer keeps freezing when I am trying to use work flow software, but my personal computer doesn’t have the same problem nearly as often. Case 1: 1. Why does the digital divide matter to children and their families?' The digital divide is a major factor because in today’s society children need to learn how to use a computer because it will be a major system that they will use in their future. The computer would help the families would keep up with how their children in school. ' 2. Do you thing the OLPC project will be successful? Why or why not? I think that under the right circumstances the project will be successful. I just think that they need to focus on children here in the United States before they start fulfilling the needs of other countries. I believe that under the right circumstances it would entice donors to support the program because they would be helping underprivileged children and families. 3. Identify and discuss what you feel is the major challenge for making the OLPC a success. How can this challenge be overcome? 'I believe the major challenge is the requirements necessary to buy the computers are a major fact. I believe that if they decreased the required supply to less than the 1 million then maybe more countries could buy into the program. '